Mark Melancon (RP, PIT) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add Immediately ANALYSIS: Racking up saves is 50% opportunity and 50% talent. Mark Melancon has always had the talent, and he's about to get his 2nd 2014 opportunity. After racking up 10 saves while Grilli landed on the DL, Melancon had been relegated to setup duties. All he did over his last 10 outings was throw 9.1 […]

Alex Wood (SP, ATL) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues. ANALYSIS: Alex Wood will be back in the Atlanta Braves rotation shortly.  Teammate Gavin Floyd left Thursday's start versus the Nationals in the 7th inning with swelling in his right elbow.  It was later reported as a broken tip of his right ulna. Floyd's exact status is not known as […]

Luis Valbuena (2B / 3B, CHC) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Deep Leagues ANALYSIS: If I were to ask any of you who the number 12 ranked player in all of the Major Leagues currently was for on-base percentage do you think you'd give me the correct answer? Unless you answered Luis Valbuena, you'd be wrong, not surprisingly. The 28 year old has […]

Billy Butler (1B / DH, KC) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Deep Leagues ANALYSIS: Billy Butler was a mid-round pick for many fantasy managers this season, and for good reason after his stat line last year. He was a five-category player in 2013 (fifth category being walks - not steals) that gave owners some power (15 HR) to go along with his .289 AVG, and […]

Drew Stubbs (OF, COL) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in NL-Only and Deeper Leagues ANALYSIS: Stubbs is the definition of a streaming hitter.  When the Rockies play on the road, it is best to completely stay away from adding him or starting him for his owners.  However, a quick check of Colorado’s schedule for the week and if they're in Denver he […]

Kolten Wong (2B, STL) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in NL-Only Leagues; Continue Scouting in All Other Leagues ANALYSIS: Wong is mostly a contact hitter, but can connect for some power on occasion. Still, his biggest fantasy contribution will be his speed. He gets on base a lot and is aggressive on the basepaths, so his stolen base numbers should always […]

J.D. Martinez (OF, DET) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Deeper Leagues, AL-Only Leagues ANALYSIS: J.D. Martinez has been absolutely mashing recently, making him the most recent addition to RotoBaller's list of potential sleepers for your fantasy baseball teams. Looking to catch lightning in a bottle off the waiver wire for your outfield production? Well this may just be your guy. So who is J.D. Martinez? […]

Danny Duffy (SP, KC) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in AL-Only and Deep Leagues ANALYSIS: Danny Duffy's name has come up a lot in the fantasy community lately. And why not? His name is a lot of fun to say! But what's really grabbed the attention of fantasy managers is the fact that he is currently sitting on 2.83 ERA, 1.11 […]

Mike Moustakas (3B, KC) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Deep Leagues & AL-Only Leagues ANALYSIS: After a promising 2012 season with 20 HR and 73 RBI, Mike Moustakas, or "Moose" as many like to call him, has disappointed Royals fans and fantasy managers alike this season. That may soon change though, as he's on a nice tear and could catch fire with […]

Taijuan Walker (SP, SEA) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Keeper Leagues and Deep Leagues ANALYSIS: Taijuan Walker is the fifth-ranked prospect in all of baseball according to MLB.com. That alone should be enough to stash him in deep leagues and keeper leagues. He is a big, dominant righty with an overpowering, high-90s fastball and a nasty, low-90s cutter. He desperately […]

Brock Holt (1B / 3B / OF, BOS) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in AL only and Deeper Leagues ANALYSIS: More than most MLB players, Brock Holt, 26 years old, is likely elated just to be playing in the major leagues. His “dirt-dog” mentality and hustle are evident throughout his game. It wasn’t the plan but his 21 R, 1 HR, 15 RBI, 5 SB, .338 […]

Alejandro De Aza (OF, CHW) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add In AL Only Leagues and Very Deep Mixed Leagues ANALYSIS: Owned in a whopping 21% of Yahoo fantasy baseball leagues, Alejandro De Aza is probably a tad bit undervalued considering he is just 2 seasons removed from a .281 / 9 /50 /81 /26 season. That's right kids, and how about if we told you that he […]

Robinson Chirinos (C, TEX) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 2 Catcher Leagues, Continue Scouting in 1 Catcher Leagues ANALYSIS: Although he doesn't play every day, Ranger's catcher Robinson Chirinos has been hitting very well recently making him an addition to RotoBaller's waiver wire pickups and sleepers list. In two-catcher formats, Chirinos should be owned pretty much across the board at this point. Over the last […]

Junior Lake (OF, CHC) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Deeper/ NL-Only Leagues ANALYSIS: Junior Lake’s career started out with a bang last July but has cooled considerably like a Junior Mint.  The 24-year-old outfielder has a lot of potential but can’t seem to put together a string of solid at bats to sustain production over the course of an entire […]

Jason Vargas (SP, KC) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Most Leagues ANALYSIS: If you’re in the market for a pitcher, look no further than Jason Vargas.  He’s already won 6 games with a 3.30 ERA.  He’ll continue to be a threat to record wins as Kansas City is now playing like the division winning threat most analysts expected in the preseason.  […]

Chase Headley (3B, SD) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Continue Scouting ANALYSIS: One of fantasy baseball’s pioneers, Ron Shandler of BaseballHQ, has a mantra “Once you display a skill, you own it”. While I generally agree with that statement, it is about the only reason I can think of as to why Chase Headley remains owned in plenty of leagues, hovering around 36-37% in […]

Jake McGee (RP, TB) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues ANALYSIS:  Jake McGee is the de facto closer for the Rays.  He was favored to get the gig after Balfour's demotion, and while some may have forgotten because it took a week for the Rays to offer McGee a save opportunity, he is now a waiver wire option that should be added immediately. He has […]

Andrew Heaney (SP, MIA) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add Immediately in Keeper Leagues and Deep Leagues ANALYSIS: Andrew Heaney is the top prospect in Miami's organization, and for good reason. The 23-year-old has flown through the minor leagues and is set to make his major league debut Thursday, June 19, just two years after being selected ninth overall by the Marlins Marlins. […]

Ryan Vogelsong (SP, SF) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Deeper Leagues, NL-Only Leagues ANALYSIS: At 36 years old, Ryan Vogelsong may not have many years left. As for right now, though, he is still pretty effective, both as a real life pitcher and a fantasy option. Despite getting off to a rough start, Vogelsong had found himself sitting at a […]

Tommy La Stella (2B, ATL) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Deeper Leagues / NL-Only, Continue Scouting in Shallow Leagues ANALYSIS: Recent prospects call-up Tommy La Stella is another guy who is getting a lot of traction in the fantasy baseball sleepers community lately, and for good reason. In only 56 at-bats, La Stella has gotten his knocks to the tune of a […]

Danny Santana (SS / 2B / OF, MIN) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Deeper Leagues / AL-Only, Continue Scouting in Shallow Leagues ANALYSIS: Danny Santana has burst onto the scene with a .340 average, 12 runs scored, 15 RBIs, and 5 steals (without being caught for those of you in NSB leagues) in only 107 at-bats to date, adding him to our list of recent waiver wire […]

Neil Ramirez (RP, CHC) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues (that value saves) ANALYSIS: Neil Ramirez is the latest Cubs reliever to rack up some saves, immediately making him a viable waiver wire pickup and another in the list of saves sleepers for fantasy baseball. This afternoon Ramirez nailed down the save for the Cubs, his second in 3 days as […]

Yonder Alonso (1B, SD) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add In Deep NL Only Leagues, Ignore In All Mixed League Formats ANALYSIS: Consider the following analysis as more of a waiver wire deterrent than an recommendation, but let's see if we can help someone out with the Padres great Yonder Alonso. First of all, this guy has never lived up to the tiny bit of hype […]

Michael Bourn (OF, CLE) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add In 12+ Team Mixed Leagues, Must Own in AL-Only Leagues ANALYSIS: At a very marginal 47% owned in Yahoo fantasy leagues, the casual fantasy baseball fan / player has missed out on some potentially valuable counting stats that the once must-own Indians outfielder has been providing of late. In the last 30 days, Michael […]

Chase Anderson (SP, ARI) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in AL-Only Leagues, Deeper Mixed Leagues ANALYSIS: Anderson was never an incredibly highly-regarded pitching prospect, but has finally found his way to the majors after being drafted by the D'backs in the ninth round of the 2009 draft. He had a rough go at Triple-A in 2013, posting a 5.73 ERA in 88 […]

Jacob deGrom (SP, NYM) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Very Deep Leagues ANALYSIS: Jacob deGrom is killing the ball to the tune of a .455 AVG, emerging himself as one of the best hitters in the Mets' lineup. Unfortunately, in fantasy baseball, those stats don't count for a pitcher. The 25-year-old righty has been an effective pitcher, as well, contrary […]

Ruben Tejada (SS, NYM) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Continue Scouting ANALYSIS: Generally speaking, players who lack power, the ability to consistently get on base and everyday at-bats are not enticing fantasy options. Ruben Tejada is no exception. Especially when you consider that, despite once being praised for his base-running abilities, he has never swiped more than five bags in a single […]

Adam Lind (1B, TOR) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Deep Leagues ANALYSIS: Lind is a righty killer. He's slashing .367/.439/.587 vs. them in 109 AB.  He barely plays vs. LHP (2 hits in 17 AB), but it was the same thing last year (.309/.385/.539 vs. RHP, compared to .208/.240/.333 vs. LHP). You get the idea: Lind is gold in deep leagues where […]

Drew Smyly (SP, DET) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Very Deep and AL-Only Leagues   ANALYSIS: Smyly has struggled a bit since his move into Detroit's starting rotation, sporting a 4.37 ERA over his nine starts. He showed signs of promise in his most recent start against a talented, albeit struggling, Boston offense, but needs to display some consistency before […]

Hector Rondon (RP, CHI) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 10+ Team Mixed Leagues, Must Own in NL-Only Leagues ANALYSIS: What's with the lack of fantasy baseball love for Hector Rondon? You would think that the assigned closer for the Chicago Cubs, with very good pitching ratios thus far in 2014, should be more than 47% owned in Yahoo leagues right? […]